Los Angeles outlaws skateboarding down hill

Teens like having fun with skateboards, but Los Angeles, California, is cracking down on this dangerous sport.

Authorities in Los Angeles on Tuesday, banned skateboard bombing, in which the skaters zoom down a steep hill up to 40 miles per hour in response to two teen deaths.

The measure will go to Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa for approval, and would become effective 30 days after he signs off on the bill.

Councilman Joe Buscaino introduced the measure after the death of two people in his district.

In November, Michael Borojevich, 14, died 11 days after suffering an injury from a skateboard, and in January, Caleb Daniel Simpson, 15, was killed while skateboarding down a hill.

"I do not want to go to the funeral of someone who died because of this," said Buscaino after the approval of the new law.
The bill would require skaters to stop at stop signs and obey speed limits. It would also prohibit cyclists or drivers from towing skaters.

Violators could face fines up to $250.

Buscaino said the laws are necessary because the police told him that traffic laws were outdated and allowed some to slip beyond their reach.

The council plans to develop written materials to deliver to the skaters to warn them of the new law.